Nacho tomb to Valladolid and gives a hard working leadership to Real Madrid

Real Madrid did not miss the stumbling block of Barcelona in Mestalla and positioned itself as the lone leader of LaLiga Santander after achieving this Sunday a more than worked victory for the minimum (1-0) in the visit to Valladolid, decided by a saving header in the final section of Nacho Fernández.

The Madrid team again suffered from 'punch' up and had to be a defender and a side center after a corner kick who decided in their favor a victory that gives him three points advantage over the Blaugrana before the derby against Atlético next saturday It was not the best game of Zinédine Zidane, gray in the first half and with more rhythm in the second to better dominate an opponent who chained his ninth day without winning.

As planned, the merengue team was not comfortable in the grass of Zorrilla. Seated in a 4-4-2, with Isco completing the midfielder quartet instead of Valverde, and Rodrygo as Benzema's partner, the visitors lacked more intensity.

Real Madrid could not beat the duel in the first 45 minutes and that helped Sergio González's players find a more 'favorable' match and in which they were only altered by Casemiro's header that was a goal until the VAR ruled that it should not go up to the scoreboard.

The locals also failed to stretch too much or disturbed Courtois, and strived more to control his rival, who had no real opportunities against the three centrals of the Pucela and demonstrating once again that he is still not at his best level in the offensive aspect, with a little participatory Benzema, a Rodrygo only voluntarily and little ferocity and tino on the sides with Nacho and Mendy.

Real Madrid up the pace

Zidane tried to solve it in the break and although he did not put any revulsive, his men did leave with one more march, enough so that Valladolid was not only dominated but Masip already noticed the presence of the Madrid attackers.

The Catalan goalkeeper put a good hand to Rodrygo and then breathed relieved when Benzema was wrong in a header that he preferred to turn into a let-down than a shot and with a foul on the edge of the area from which Isco took little advantage. Best directed was the second header of the French 'pichichi', but he also did not find his destiny.

Real Madrid dominated with absolute clarity, but did not get the desired game in the form of occasions. Valladolid survived without more stress than having to defend itself continuously and without the possibility of finding a counter-savior. Zidane looked deeper with Lucas Vázquez for Isco for a final 20 minutes and with a 4-3-3, but it was again a defensive player, Nacho, who opened the scoring with a precise shot after a great center of Kroos .

Interestingly, the goal made visitors lose control in a game that opened then. Mendy crossed quickly when Guardiola sought to test Courtois and Valladolid squeezed something else, but without finding the goal that cuts his streak, but still five points above the descent.

DATA SHEET.

–OUTCOME: REAL VALLADOLID, 0 – REAL MADRID, 1 (0-0, at rest).

– ALIGNMENTS.

VALLADOLID: Masip; Antoñito, Olivas, Salisu, Joaquín, Raúl Carnero; Míchel (Villa, min. 58), Alcaraz, San Emeterio (Miguel, min. 81); Enes Unal (Óscar Plano, min. 76) and Guardiola.

REAL MADRID: Courtois; Nacho, Ramos, Varane, Mendy; Modric (Valverde, min. 88), Casemiro, Kroos, Isco (Lucas Vázquez, min. 73); Rodrygo (Jovic, min. 93) and Benzema.

– GOALS.

0-1, minute 78. Nacho

–REFEREE: From Burgos Bengoetxea (C. Vasco). He admonished Joaquin (min. 10), for Valladolid, and Varane (min. 36), Modric (min. 57), Nacho (min. 76), for Real Madrid.

–STADIUM: José Zorrilla.